Improvement in lubricators



P. HOFFMAN'. Lubrio'ator.

No. 207,355. Pate-med Aug. 27.1878.

N.PEIF.RS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINQTON. D C.

PATENT .Enron PHILLIP HOFFMAN, OF HOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN LUBRl-CATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 207,355,

July lf2, 1878.

To all rwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP HOFFMAN, of Hoboken, Hudson county, NewJersey, have invented an Improved Steam-En gine Lubricator, of which thefollowing is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of lubrieators which connect with thesteam-pipe of the engine and deliver the oil therein to mingle with thesteam in its passage to the engine 5 and the object of my invention isto provide a simple and effective lubricator constructed and operatingon the principle most familiar to engineers in general.

With this in view I have adopted the wellunderstoodcombination of steamcylinder and piston to form the oil-cup of the lubricator, and thefeatures which willbe herein after fullyset forth, and distinctlyspecified in the concluding clauses.

The drawing annexed presents a vertical section of my improvedlubricator, the connecting-pipes, &c., being shown in elevation.

a indicates the steam-pipe of the engine, in which the steam is supposedto be passing downward, and to the side of which the lubricator isdirectly attached, as shown. The vcylinder A, which forms the oil-cup ofthe lubricator, is connected with the steam-pipe at the top by thesteam-vent pipe C and at the bottom by the oil-feed pipe D, each pipebeing controlled by a suitable valve, c d.

The cylinder is tted with a tight piston, E, the rod e of which risesthrough a stuffing-box in the upper head ofthe cylinder, and is guidedat its upper end by a cross-head, F, which slides on upright guide-rodsI I. The crosshead sustains a series of weights, H, as shown, which tendto depress the piston, and thus expel the oil from beneath it throughthe oilfeed pipe D, according as its valve cl is opened to admit itsescape into the steam-pipe a,whieh leads to the engine. A vent of hotlive steam is admitted at the same time above the piston, through thepipe C and valve c, to equalize the pressure on the cylinder and keepits contents warm.

It will thus be seen that the feed of the oil is effected by the gradualfall of the piston, which, being effected by weights, is positive anduniform during the entire stroke, thus expelling the oil with uniformityand certainty,

embody my invention dated August 27, 1878; application filed which isnotV the case where springs. are elnployed to effect the movement of theexpelling piston as heretofore used in piston-lubricators. The feed ofthe oil does not therefore depend on the displacing effect ofthecondensation of the stea1n-vent, as is usual in this class oflubricators; and my object is to avoid condensation in the cup, so'as topreserve its contents always warm, as this gives a better and more rapidlubricating effect, the oil being in this case instantly diffusedthrough the steam on its ent-rance into the steam-pipe. Hence the cup isattached close tothe steam-pipe a, and the steam-vent pipe D connectsdirectly with the top of the cylinder, 'so as to admit the live steamdirectly thereto.

One of the guide-rods I of the cross-head is graduated, as shown, toform an index, which is traversed by one end of the cross-head, and thusserves to indicate the amount of contents of the cylinder and the rateof feed of the oil in a simple and very efficient manner, thusdispensing with. the more troublesome and eX- pensive gageglasses. Thecross-head is also provided with a small clamp or set-screw, T, whichmay be tightened against the guide-rod I to hold the piston stationarywhen required to fill the cup. The top of the oil-cylinder is provided,preferably on its opposite sides, with a lling-cock, L, and vent-cock N,arranged about on a level with each other and below the point of thepistons highest travel. An additional vent-cock, R, is also providedabove the lower cock or opening into the extreme top of the cylinder,being preferably attached on the steam-vent pipe, so as to give an outward vent to the cylinder when the piston rises past the lower vent, N.

The functions of these last-named features are to enable the cup to berelled, which is accomplished as follows: When all the oil is exhaustedand the piston has reached the botA tom of the cylinder the cup isrelled with oil and its action renewed by first closingthe steam and oilvalves c d, the vent-cocks N It being afterward opened to admit theescape of air, steam, or water from above the piston,

when the live steam is then admitted below the piston by opening thevalve d of the oilpipe, the pressure of which immediately raises theweighted piston to the top of its stroke,

which will be indicated by the blowing of steam from the vent N, the airor Water above the piston being expelled through the vents on the riseof the piston. The piston being nonT held at the top of the cylinder bytightening the set-screvtr T, and the steam being sluit off from thecup, the oil is then poured into the cylinder under the piston throughthe iilling-cock L, the contained air linding escape by the vent N asthe oil rises. When the cylinder has received its full charge of oil itwill be indicated by its appearance at the vent N, at which the fillingand vent cocks are closed, the clamp-screw loosen ed to release thepiston, and the steam-valve c opened to admit a vent of live steam abovethe piston. then be fed from the cup at the requisite rate to thesteam-pipe by opening the oil-cock d more or less, its rate of feedbeing clearly indicated by the descent of the cross-head on the index I.

It will thus be observed that the construction and operation of myimproved lubrieator are both quite simple and effective, and aredesigned on such principles as are most familiar to engineers, While thefeed of the oil is under` full control, and, moreover, the refilling ofthe cup may be accomplished with great ease and readiness, which is animportant advantage of the invention. It is quite desirable when the oilis exhausted to be able to immediately refill the cup and continue theoil-feed to the engine Without any appreciable delay. In my inventionthis can be effected instantly, as the direct-acting nature of theoil-feed obviates the delay required for condensation in the The oilmayv connecting pipes or chambers of the oil-cup to render the feedoperative, as is the case in cups having a condensation-feed.

What I claim as my invention isl. A steam-lubricator formed of thecombination of the oil-cylinder A, arranged With its axis vertical,pipes C D, connecting the cylinder at top and bottom with the steam-pipea, piston E, which acts to expel the oil from beneath While it receivesa steam-vent from above, and aweighted piston-rod, H e, which depressesthe piston at a positive and uniform pressure to effect the feed of theoil, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a steam-engine lubricator, the combination, with a cylinder, A,connected at top and bottom with the steam-space, of the piston E e,cross-head F, and graduated guides I I', substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a lubricator, the combination, with the cylinder A and piston E,of the lling and vent nozzles L N, arranged on the oil-cylinder on alevel with each other and below the point of the pistons highest travel,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, in a steam-lubricator, of a vertical cylinder, A,steam and oil feed pipes C D, piston E e, guides I I', and Weightedcross-head F H, provided with a clamp, T, to bear against the saidguides, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

l?. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses W. H. C. SMITH, 'PATRICK MARTIN.

